Hunter Maximus

“Mr. Humphrey. It’s a pleasure meeting you, I’m Isobel Smith, an established photographer from VampMedia, I’m representing my news team –”

“I’m not interested,” Mr. Humphrey snaps back at me, so quickly in fact that I have to take a moment to contain my quickening anger. I didn’t even want to be here, talking to some rude politician.

I had made it into his office where he was working at his desk diligently on some important politician’s business. I was expected to give my offer without him even making eye contact with me.

“Forty thousand,” I blurt out, and this gets his attention, he immediately meets my eye, ignoring his work to look up at me and I force on a smile.

“Forty thousand for what, my dear?” He asks, prompting me to go on.

“I need photos of the Prince Vampire,” I explain, “I don’t want a story, we already have that. I just need a couple of photos, that’s all. Then I’ll be out of your hair and you’ll be forty thousand richer,” I try not to fiddle with the camera hanging around my neck, it was heavy and hung just below my breasts.

“Tonight I am holding a public event with the vampire,” he says, “That is when everyone will first see him. Forty thousand is not enough to get photos before this event.” He looks smug now, knowing I will have to bid higher.

“Let me call my boss and see what I can do,” I walk out of Greg’s small office to the hallway outside and take the phone out of the small hand bag I also held with me. I dial Maximus’ number and put the phone to my ear.

“Isobel?” he asks, “How did it go?”

“Forty is not enough,” I say, “How far can you go up?”

“Ah…” there is a pause on the other end of the line, “I’ll call you back. Offer him fifty thousand, he should accept.” He hangs up on me and I angrily stuff it back into my hand bag. God knows why Maximus sounded pissed off all of a sudden. I take a moment to breathe and put on another smile before opening the door and walking back in.

Greg looks at me expectantly as I walk back in and stand across from him as he sits behind his desk, watchful and silent.

“My highest offer is forty-five,” I say, just in case he decides to be an ass about it and refuse again.

“I don’t believe you, dear,” he seems all too happy to say that.

I slowly walk up to the desk and lean my hand on the edge, leaning closer into Greg.

“Fifty,” I say, trying very hard not to lose my shit, “Take it or leave it. We probably have better things to spend fifty thousand on than a couple of photos anyway,” I hiss the last part, and I mean it. I didn’t even give a crap about Prince Darrius. I was just here to do what Maximus told me so he would agree never to turn me into a vampire.

“Ms. Smith,” Greg slowly stands up, reaching out his hand, I take it and he shakes it, hard, “We have a deal. Follow me, he is in the adjoining building. You only get ten minutes with him though. Do you understand?”

“It’s perfect, thank you.”

As Greg walks me out of the building after sorting a couple of his papers first, I text Maximus, ‘I’m in’.

I was on my way to see Prince Darrius.

Another bloody vampire, I was getting sick of having to deal with so many. I was a hunter after all, I was meant to be killing vampires, not saving them.

Out on the street, Greg turns to me and says, “Don’t get too close, my dear, the sedatives are no longer working on his body, his venom in his blood has learned to destroy the sedative quickly. And he bites,” Greg proceeds to laugh robustly, like it is the funniest thing in the world. I smile back.

He takes me into the building across from his own. The one I walk into has many security guards roaming the area. We walk through a white reception towards an elevator. We go up to level five, all the while I have to listen to Greg rant about his public event he is staging tonight.

How it will be so life-altering to humans. And how much fame he would receive after the night was over.

He receives a phone call while we walk through the corridors of level five. This level is creepy, with cold white floors and walls and many doors lining each wall.

“What do you mean she was kidnapped,” He snaps into his phone call, “By whom?... How is that possible?... You do everything you can to find her, okay? Good!... Find her!” He hangs up the phone, suddenly his mood is not so elevated.

“What’s the matter? Who was kidnapped?” I ask him as we come to a stop beside one of the doors.

“It’s nothing,” he lies, his face red with anger, “Nothing I can’t handle. Come on, you only have five minutes with him now. I have a matter that needs urgent attention to be dealt with…” he opens the door.

When we walk inside…

I see one majorly pissed off vampire leaning against one of the walls, arms crossed over his chest, patiently waiting.

There is blood pooling on the floor of the room.

I finally found Prince Darrius…

…and he isn’t in chains.